Kermesidae
Guides
Olliffiella
Olliffiella is a genus of gall-like scale insects in the family Kermesidae. The genus contains at least two described species: O. cristicola (the gall kermes) and O. secunda. These insects are part of the diverse group of scale insects within the order Hemiptera.
Olliffiella cristicola
Gall Kermes
Olliffiella cristicola, commonly known as the gall kermes, is a species of scale insect in the family Kermesidae. The species forms gall-like structures on host plants, a distinctive trait among kermes scales. It was described by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1896 and is known from the United States.